7/11/25

By FHSU University Communications

HAYS, Kan. - It’s Mississippi Kite nesting season again on the campus of Fort Hays State University. Over the next several weeks, the raptors will become more aggressive as their hatchlings get closer to leaving the nest. 

Here are several ways you can lessen the likelihood that you will get swooped and possibly struck by Kites this summer.

1. Stay clear of any nesting sites you can identify.
2. Keep your eyes on the skies and look for nearby soaring Kites as you walk about campus.
3. Wear a hat or carry an umbrella.

Mississippi kites are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which means the birds, their eggs, and their offspring cannot be moved, captured, hunted, or killed. This includes the nest as well.

An expert flyer, the Mississippi kite often catches and consumes its insect prey in flight. The raptor is primarily gray with orange-red legs and feet, a pale light gray head, black wings tipped with a broad white patch, and deep red eyes.